Method of and apparatus for forming sheet rubber blanks



March 5. 1935. G. w. BLAIR ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMINGSHEET RUBBER BLANKS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan, 7, 1932 March 5, 1935.G, w. BLAIR ET AL METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR FORMINO SHEET RUBBERBLANKS Filed Jan. 7, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 5, 1935 METHODF AND APPARA'rusFORk FORM- ING snEEir4 RUBBER nLANKs George W. Blair andRay R. Hunt, Mshawaka,Y

Ind., Vassignors to Mishawaka Rubber and Woolen Manufacturing Company,Mishawaka, Ind., a corporation of Indiana,A

Application January 7, 1932 serial )Natsas 17 Claims.

Our invention has reference tothe forming of blanks of various desiredsizes and shapes from uncured sheet rubber.

berblanks in a manner and throughfacilities Cil that may beadvantageously employed Vin connection with the cutting operation.

The principal objects of our invention are to provide a simple andconvenient method and apparatus whereby blanks of unvulcanized sheetrubber may be readily and quickly prepared; to

construct the apparatus so that it is practicallyuniversal in therespect that it is readily adaptable and quicklyy changed for makingblanks of substantially any desired size, shape and thickness; toprovide'improved means for removing` the scrap rubber portions ofthe'sheet after the blanks have been formed therefrom; and to provideimproved means for accumulating or handling sheet rubber blanks-theseand other objects being accomplished vwith our invention as shown in theaccompanying drawings in which,-

Fig. 1 is a side View of a portion of the apparatus at the end where therubber stock is supplied lfor cutting into the blanks;

Fig. 2 is a similar View of a portion of the ma. chine at the other endand shows a booking attachment that may be employed for accumulating thesheet rubber blanks; Y

Fig. 3 is a top view of the portion of the machine shown in Fig. 2 witha portion broken away;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged top view of the cutter mechanism with anintermediate portion broken away;

Fig. 5 is a sectional .view on the line 5,-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view, with an intermediate portionbroken away, of the cushion roll which is'provided under the blankingroll; v

Fig. 'Tis a transverse sectional View of the belt on which the rubberiscarried through the ma-A chine;

Fig.'8 is a transverse sectional view of the sep. arator ribbon or beltof the rubber storage device, and Y Fig. 9 is a side view of a modifiedform of ap.

The invention also in-Y cludes the handling or accumulating of sheetrub- (or 11s-2) referencel numeral l0 indicates the main frame, .whichis of anyjdesired llength and width and constructed inanydesired-manner, saidframe being provided with drums Alland 12 at thereceiving and delivery ends respectively. which are journaled inbearin'gsvlB'on the main Vframe. An

endless belt 14 is passed around thesendrums 11 and l2 with the upperlength substantially atie the level offthe top of ythe main framelO, andsupported at suitable intervals by idler rolls 15 or otherwise toprevent sagging, therv lower*Y length ofA said beltf14 being likewisesupported at in-` tervals by idler rolls 16 which are journaled on 11the main frame; This belt 14 isoperated so thatj the upper lengthtravels in theV direction ,indicated by the arrow 17 (see Fig. 1-) andfor this purpose a motor 18 may beeemployed and con.,` nected in anyconvenientmanner with the shaft* 19 of the ldrum 11 at'thereceivingor-forward end of the machine, the driving .connection prefl-,I

available on the market, as for examplethe wellv known Reeves type whichconsists of a V-belt running around a pair or sheaves whichare-adjustableto change their effective diameters and permit a gradualchange of speed.

The sheet rubber that isto be formed into the blanks is fed onto Ytheupper lengthl ofA the belt 14l at thereceiving end of Y.the machine in along strip which may be supplied thereto directvfrom the calender orotherwise, the sheet rubber being supplied inthe illustratedembodimentfrom aV sheet rubber storage device of Vthe character 4shown in theapplication of RaynR. HuntfSerial; No. 436,549ffiled March 17, 1930, thebelt 14 ofV course being of a suitable width to readily accommodate thisrubber strip which is indicated here.

in at 21. 'Y v The storage device above referred to comprises aportableframe '22 `with `upper and lower reels 23and 24 respectivelyupon which is wound a separator ribbon or belt 25: with raised edgesy26which separate' the convolutions of the'separaf tor ribbonror belt 25sufficiently to accommodate the sheet rubber 21 freely therebetween, therubber, in practicebeing wound with'thegseparator ribbon on the lowerreel 24 and 'the upper reel merely .serving asa lholder to and )fromwhich the separator ribbon o1yb`elt25 is trans-V, ferred as therubberjiswoundfon and unwound from the separatorribbon on the lower reell24.

. latterstorage device anothersupplyvis immedi' 2i-fg Y In practiceanumber of these rubber storage devices areprovided and a lled one placedin position as soon as the rubber hasbeen removed from the precedingone, and to Vfacilitate the.'

changing of the rubber storage devices and to avoid delayY I prefer `toprovide a transverse track 27 vbeyond the forwardr end lof the rubbercutting machine with a truck 28 thereon of sufcient rlength toaccommodate two of the rubber storing devices, an approach 29 beingpro-Y vided along the side romo'te'A from thecutting machine fordirectingthe rubber storage devices up onto the truck, anda `guard rail430 be.A ing provided on the truck 28 for stopping. 1.the

storage devices in the proper position. With vthis construction a filledrubber storage der.

vice is run onto one end ofV the truck 23v while the rubber is beingremoved from the rubber storage device at the other end of the truck andas soon as the rubber is exhausted from the ately available by merelymovingV the truck28 along the'rails 27V to bring" the lled storage device tothe Yproper! position at-the endY of the rubber 'cutting machine.

Y It is undesirable to unwind the rubber stripV fromthe storagefreel 24by pulling onjthe lrubber strip; and moreover it isnecessary to wind ,up`the separator ribbon or belt 25 on the upper reel 23 as the rubberstrip 21 is unwound from thejlower' reel 24 and we have accordinglyprovided mechanism whereby the upper reel 23 is Y tion while' the changeis being made and then quired by the cuttingmacln'ne.

operatedto wind the 'ribbon for belt 24 and feed the rubber from thelowerreel 24 as itis re- To this'end an elevated support 31 is providedon thefeed end of the main frame withfan armf'32 pivoted ,at the top sothat the outerrend of` said arm swings vertically and'this armvhas onits outer end a drum'or`pulley33 which is positioned to engage theperiphery of one of the circular ends of the upper reel 23 'of therubber storage devicev wheny the latter is in position to feedthe rubberthere'- fromto thev cutting'machine. l A motor 34 which IisY mounted inanV Aelevated positionV on the support 31 is connected through areduction gear 35, sprocket'f36 and chain 37 with a sprocket 38 inthecountershaft 39 and the latter through the YVsprocket 40 chain 41 andsprocket 42 operatesV the drum orpulley 33 in the properdirectionso that`when it is engaged with the reel 23 it vwill operate the latter to windthe ribbon'or belt 25 on the upper reel*` 23 and thereby unwind saidribbon'orbeltfrom" the-lower reel 24 and at t-he same time'unwind therubber vstrip 21 from this lower reel for feedingv to thecutting'machine. The-pulley or drum 33 normally rests on andV indriving-engagement with theperiphery of the endfwall of vthefupvper-drum23 and when the rubber storage devicesare to be changed is lifted in`anyconvenient manner to `'an elevated posi-Y or free end with a smallroller resting on the' rubber strip so that the said roller is raisedand. lowered and the frame 43 swung on its pivot stantial amount ofslack in the rubber strip 21 between the reel 24 and drum 11, the roller45 drops down therewith and rocks the frame 43 so that 'the mercuryswitch 46 thereon is operated .to break'the circuitto the motor 34 sothat it ceases tooperate and then as this slack is taken upby theoperation' of the conveyor belt 14 the roller 45 is lifted and swingsthe frame 43 upwardly to the point where the mercury switch 46 operatesto close the circuit to the lmotor 34 so that the latter is set-inoperation to feed rubberfrom the lower reel 24. vThus the supply of vtherubber is automatically controlled by variations in the amount of slackbetween the ree1f24-`and the drum l1 and an ample supply provided at alltimes without any excessive or uneven pull onthe rubber strip 21.

For cutting the rubber strip 21 into the blanks of the form and'shapethat may be required a cutter roll 47 is provided which rests on or ispressed against the'top surface of the upper length of the belt 14directly above an idler roll 48 of special form which supports the belt14 at this place, said cutter roll 47 being readily removable andinterchangeable at will with other cutter rolls which are formed to cutthe rubber into various shapes'ancl sizes of blanks that may berequired. While these rolls are, for convenience, referred to hereinas-'cutter rolls they do not cut the rubber sheet into theblanks in thesense that the 'term cutting is ordinarily understood but they areprovided with ribs 49 arranged on the peripheral face of the roll in theproper conguration to form, yby rolling engagement with the rubber sheeton the apron, blanks of the desired size andl shape, and these ribs areheated to aY suitable temperature to soften or meltl the contiguousrubber sufficiently so that they penetrate readily through the rubber tothe 'top surface of the belt 14 on which the rubber strip 21V issupported, said ribs being preferably formed` with the side facesbeveled or convergent so that theytend to spread. apart and` separatethe edges of the rubber sufficiently to preclude sticking together ofsaid severed edges.

For holding the so called cutter rolls 47 in proper position and toinsure pressing of the heated ribs thereof entirely through the rubbersheet and against the top vsurface of the belt 14, a shaft 50 extendstransversely and at an elevation Vabove the upper length of the belt 14,being journaled at itsendsrin bearing brackets 5l on the side members ofthe main frame 10 and A,held against axial movement by a collar 52 onone end and a crank arm 53 on the other end. This shaft 50 has a key way54 extending from end to end and carries a pair of brackets 55 which arealike and each has a pair of laterally spaced apertured ears 56throughwhich the shaft 50 extends, said ears being provided with lugs whichengage the keyway 54 of said shaft so that while said brackets 55 are.free to slide axially along the' shaft 50 they are locked againstturning movement thereon. Each bracket 55 has an upwardly extending CilportionV terminating at VVits upper end in an arm',

the top surface ofthe belt 14.

The-roll connectors 59 and-60 are substantially alike in constructionand serve as linksV for connecting the ends of the roll 47to the shaft59 and each has. a substantially hook `shaped fitting 61 at the endwhich slips downwardly between the ears v56 of the respective bracketand engages the portion of theshait therebetween. Each fitting 61isadjustably connected'by a threaded stem 62 to a block 63 of insulatingmaterial which has a metal arm 64 secured thereto so that itis insulatedfrom the stem"52 said arm being extended toward the delivery end oi' themachine and formed at its iree end with a bearing 65 for the shaftortrunnion of the cutter roll 47. The

arm 64 alsois provided with a seat 66 suitably located to be engaged bythe lower end of the clamping screw 58 which isof insulatedconstruction, ybeing `formed of upper and lower sections which aresecured together and insulated from one another by a connector 67 oi'insulating material. `With this construction it will be observed thatthe rolls not only may be quickly changed for cutting or forming blanksof various shapes but the mounting brackets may also be quickly adjustedto accommodate rolls of different diameters and lengths.

The rolls 47 on the peripheries oi which the forms of the blanks aredefined by the ribs or fins 49 may be of any desired construction, pre;-erably of aluminum or some other efficient heat conductor and the ribs49 are preferably ci the same material, either formed integralv with theroll or secured thereto in a manner to Vinsureeffective communication ofheat from the roll to the ribs, and the ribs may be heated in anydesired manner. Steam orotherV heating Vmedium may be introduced intothe interior'of the roll if desired, although we prefer to heat the ribsin the manner shown herein wherein the roll is'hoilow and has anelectrical heating element 68 located within the roll and adjacent theinner surface thereof. A stem or trunnion 69 is providedat each end ofthe roll 47 for engagement in the bearings 650i theV connectors or links59.and du and these stems or trunnions'i-i of the roll are insulatedfrom one another and also lfrom the roll itself so as to serve asterminals to which the respective ends of the heating element 68 areconnected.

For supplying current to the heating element 68 the insulated arm 64 ofeach link 59'and 6G is provided with a tongue 70 or other suitable meanspermitting detachable connection oa flexible electrical conductor andone wire 191 of the circuit which supplies current to the heatingelement 68 leads to one of the terminals 79 through a rheostat 7lwhereby the current may be ccntrolled for regulating the heat suppliedby the heating element 68, while the other circuit wire 192 leads to theother termii'ial 7D.

With the construction above described the cutter roll 47 may be readilyremoved and replaced as it is merely necessary to back up the tensionscrews 5 8 suiiiciently to permit the hooked ends of the links 59 and 60to be lifted outV of engagement'with the shaft 50 Whereuponthe bearings65 `of these link membersv '59 and60 vmay ber slipped olf vof lthe stemsor trunnions 69 --and another roll substituted. Moreover cutter rolls 47of any desired length may be employed as they bracketsv maybe slidfalong the shaftf50 tov provide the necessary 4'spaced mounting `of 'thelinks 59 and 60 for the particular length ci the roll.A infact anumber'of short cutter rolls may be used 'simultaneously by providingadditional Y brackets 55 on the shaft 50 'to accommodate `ad'' ditionallinks 59 and 60 for extra rolls. Moreover the cutterrolls 47 may be ofdiierent diameters inasmuch as the connecting Vlinksv 59iand `69'therefor are-.tree to swing on the shaft 50 so that their free bearingends occupy any desi'redele'V vatio-n and the tension s'crews58V arecapable of sufiicient adjustment to engage said links whenV used withrolls Vof Various diameters; A

The diameter of the rolls depends somewhat upon the shape and size ofthe blanks to be out out therewith as it is preferable-that thecircumference of the roll correspond to the lengthof: the particularblank as forexainple 4that shown4 by way of illustration at 72 Vin Fig;4wherein the length of the blank is such Athatthe cutting ribs 49therefor extend entirely around the roll 'and meet at 73, or thecircumference of the roll may correspond to a multiple of the length ofthe blank and have the ribs arranged therearound to cut a series of suchblanksvin each'revolutionv of theY roll'. These ribs 49 may of course bearranged to cut out blanks in contiguous inter-- lttingrows vlengthwiseof the sheet or in later-r ally spaced rows as shown in Fig. 4' or tosimulsizes or shapes, it being desirable however-that they be soAarranged .to permit convenientrerangement ofthe ribs on the beit beingprovided to insure penetration' of the edges of the ribs" entirelythrough the sheet ru ber on the belt. The blanks may be entirelyseparate if desired' but are preferably connected together inlongitudinal series so as to insure pulling awayV from the cutting edgeof the cutter and avoid following around with Vthe-cutter. Only a slightconnection lis re-V quired for this purposeV and it may be providedas-showninfFig.' 4 by notching the portion of the rib49 as indicated at49a so that it leaves a nar-v row connection 72a between the ends of thefad `ioining blanks. f

The belt 14 may be of any desired construction which will properlysupport the rubber,v maintain the blanksin place while kthe scrap isremoved, permit the blanks to be readily removed and co-l operatesatisfactorilywith the ribs 49 in forming the blanks, a belt that wehave found satisfactory for this purpose being formed as shown in Fig. 7of layers 75 o'V `cotton sheeting rubberized and laminated' together,a'suflicient number of layers being employed so that the belt is strongand quite firm, and of a. cushiony character which will Vyieldsufficiently under the pressure of the ribs 49 of the cutter roll toinsure penetration of the ribs entirely through the rubber. y

Forfsupporting the belt'l4 at the place'whereV the cuttingr occurs anidler roll 48 isY mounted directlybelow the cutter roll 47 in-bearingson thev main frame 10 and this roll 76 is important that this roll be ofa cushion constructionto vcompensate for variations in the thickness ofthe belt, Variations in the surface ofthe cutters 'and`variations in thepressure of the cutters and atthe same time this roll must present ahard surface to insure a clean cut. Inthe present embodiment this roll76 is formed with a wood core 77 which is secured on the shaft 78, theends of which engage in bearings on the sides of the main frame 10, andthis Wood core 77 is covered with a thick` layer 79 of soft rubber whichis surrounded by a metalcovering orshell madeup of a series of shorttubular sections 8O which are fitted sufricientlyclosetogether toprovide a substantially continuous uninterrupted peripheral surface forthe roll 76, and yet will permit independent yielding of the varioussections of the surfaceof said roll as the cutting edges 49 of the roll47 operate thereover, and bysupplementing the cushiony eifect of thebelt 14 insure adequateco-operative engagement of the belt 14'with thecutting ribs 49 of Ythe, roll 47,at allV points throughout the length ofthe latter so that ktheseribs 49 penetrate entirely through the rubberat all Vplaces around or along the edges of the blanks and therebyentirely sever the blanks from; the scrap so that the latter may beremoved from the belt 14 Without disturbing the blanks which remain`thereon.

The roll 47 is adjusted at the ends by means of thev adjusting screws 58to insure uniform engagement of the cutting ribs 49 with the belt 14throughout the length of the roll 47, the brackets 55 on which thescrews 58 are mounted being held against turning movement on the shaft50 by the engagement of the bracket lugs`81 in the keyway 54 of saidshaft 50,Y and the latter is resiliently heldagainst turning movement inits bearings 51. To this lend said shaft 50 ,has the arm 53 xed thereonat one end and the outer end of this arm is engaged by a spring 82 whichexerts a tension to rock the shaft 50 in a direction to hold' thecutting roll 47 against the belt 14, the extent to which this rockingmovement may take placev After the blanks have been cut or formed fromthe sheet rubber 21 by the operation of the cutter roll it is desirableto remove the scrap rubber which may be in various forms depending uponthe'conguration of the blanks that have been cut from the rubber sheet.There is, however, a portion along each edge of the rubber strip that isnot use-d and in practice we arrange the ribson the cutterroll so thateach edge portion of the scrap is in a separate continuous strip asindicated at 85 in Fig. 4 and remove these edge strips of scrapVprogressively from the belt 21 just after the `rubber passes the cutterrollv 47. There may also be intermediate scrap portions and in suchcasesV the cutter ribs are-preferably so arranged that vthe intermediatescrap is formed in a continuous strip as indicated at 86 in'Fig. 4 sothatit may be removed at the same time as and with the same facilitiesas the edge scrap portions 85. Y

For removing the scrap, any suitable pick up mechanism-may be employed,a convenient and satisfactory formA being shown herein which is mountedon an elevated frame or super-structure 87 of the main frame l0 andcomprises a belt 88 which `extends across the machine and has the upperlength trained upwardly atan inclination from the roll 89 over anintermediate idler roll 90 to theroll 91 where it discharges onto any;suitable scrap collector -which may be merely a platform orV a crossconveyor belt 92 which is arranged to carry the scrap laterally to anydesired place at the side of the machine.

Foroperating the belt 88 a motor 96 may be provided on the elevatedframe 37 and connected in any convenient manner Withthe end roll 91 ofsaid belt 88, it being desirable however to provide a change speeddevice 97 through which the motor may be connected by. the chain 98 witha sprocket on the roller 91. The change speed device 97, like thathereinbefore referred to and indicated by the numeral 20, is of a typepermitting gradual change of speed Vand may be adjusted to operate thebelt 88 at the necessary rate to satisfactor-ily pick up the scrap'rubber strips 85 and 86, it being understood that in some cases the.

scrap strips may be of a Zig-zag form or stretch in the picking upoperation sufficiently to require a higher rate of surface speed for thescrap pickup belt 88 than 'that of the rubber carryingbelt 14.l Thescrapstripaof course, are fed under the roll 94 which exerts a yieldingtension to hold the strips against the surface of the belt 88 and in theevent that some of the scrap strips stretch out in the picking upoperation to a greater length than others, the belt 88 is operated at asuiliciently high rate of speed to pick up the longer strips and theroll94 may permit suflicient slippage of vthe shorter scrap Vstrips tocompensate for the different rate of pick up required for the longer andshorter scrap strips.

As hereinbefore indicated, the cushiony character lof the belt 14together with the manner in which it is held up in position at thecutter location serves to permit the edges of the cutter ribs 49 topress into the upper surface of the belt'l4 sufficiently toV insurecomplete severance of the blanks from the scrap, said ribs 49 beingheatedV Yto a suitable temperature, governed by the rheostat 71, so thatthey will readily melt their way through the rubber Without burning thefabric face of the belt 14, and because of this complete severance andthe fact that the heat along the edges of the blank in the cuttingoperation tends to cause a slight adhesion of the blank to the surfaceof the belt 14, the scrap is quite readilyv removable Without disturbingthe blanks. As a safeguard, however, against pulling stresses on thescrap strips in a direction that might tend to disturb the blanks on thebelt, as for example if the edge portions 85 of the scrapv should bepulled inwardly toward the middle of the scrap removing belt 88, guidesmay be provided for the purpose of directing the scrap strips away fromthe blanks in a manner to avoid any interference with the blanks on thebelt, two guides being shown in the present structure for this purposewhich are arranged to direct the edgev strips 85 of scrap laterallyawayV fromthe contiguous blanks 72. 'I'hese guides comprise rollers 99which are mounted at an elevation above and at each edge of the belt 14just beyond the cutter 47 on brackets 100 which are secured tothe framel0 in a manner to permit adjustment of the angularity of the guiderollers With respect to the direction of travel of the belt 14, and whenthese In the case of some blanks they may beformed complete by thecutter roll and in such cases said blanks, which remain on the belt 14after the scrap is removed, are merely taken from -the belt 14 in anyconvenient manner beyond the location oi the cutterA roll, the portionof the upper reach of the belt 14 beyond the cutter roll beingpreferably of suicient length so that operators may stand therealong andpick up the blanks as the beltr14passes the'places where they arestationed.

In some cases, however, where the blanks are required to be cutlalongstraight lines ,atf right angles to the direction of movement of thebelt 14 as for example when continuous strips are to be cut into certainlengths or in the case ofthe Y blanks 72 which are to be divided into-two parts along the lines101 (see Fig. 4) it is desirable to employ, inaddition to the roll 47, a cross cutter which is preferably locatedbeyond the place vWhere the scrap is removed, so that it does notinterfere with thescrap which it is desirable to maintain in continuousstrip form for convenient removal. This cross cutter may besubstantially the same as that shown and described in Patent No.1,797,568 of March 24, `1931 to Frederick R;

vDean and comprises a cross shaft 102 which has aheated dull edgedcutter blade 103 secured therevto and extending transversely over thetop of the upper length of the belt 14, said shaft 102 being supportedat its ends in bearings 104 which are adjustably mounted on therespective side members of the frame l by threaded stems 105 which havelock nuts 106 thereon for securingthe bearings 104 at a suitableVelevation wherein the edge of the cutter blade 103, will, upon rotationof the shaft 102, engage against the top surface of the belt 14. n Y

For-heatng theblade 103 so that the edge thereof will melt its Waythrough the rubber on the Vbelt-1 4 an electrical heating element 107-is secured on theblade 103 at one side, the conducters 193 Ato and fromthe ends ofk said heating element being connected respectivelyrtorcollectcr rings V108 which are mounted in an insulated `manner ondisks 109 which are xed on the shaft `element 107, a rheostat 111 beingconnected in the circuit for regulating the supply of current Aso as rtomaintain the Ycutter blade 103 at the .desired temperature.

For rotating the cutter 103 the shaft 102 is kextended at one endbeyondthe bearing 104 and has a sprocket v112 loosely mounted thereon anddriven by a chain 113 from any suitable source .of power as for exampleYfrom'a motor 114 which is connected through a, change speed device 115,

or the type hereinbefore referred to, and sprocket Y 116 with thedriving chain113 of the sprocket 112.

The outer face ofthe sprocket 112 is formed with-clutch teeth toco-operate with correspond- V,ingclutchfteeth on the `inner face of aclutch plate 117-which is keyed on Ithe shaft 1 02 in the'usual mannerto vrotate therewith and slide ,axially thereon'and on the outer end orthevshaft is iixed a collar 118 between which and the hub of the clutchplate 117 is a spring- 119`which exerts a tension to force the plate117-.into'clutchingv engagement with the sprocketA 112. A bell crank 120is pivoted at 12,1 on the machine'frame and has an upstandingarm 122positioned'so that the `upper end thereof is located-at thek side ofthehub ofthe clutch plate 117 and said upperend of thev arm 122 is formedywithan Ainclined clutch -disengaging race 123 positioned` tobeengagediby the ylug 124to arrest movement of the shaft 102 when thisclutch is `fully disengaged.

The other arm 124 of the belt crank 120 ex4v tendsf forwardly from thepivotA 121 over a solenoid 125 which serves, when energized, to pull:the

outer end of thearm 124 downwardly anddisengagethe upper end .0f thetrip-arm 1.22fwm the clutch 111s 124 .SQ that the Clutch. .is treat@ beengaged through the mediumvoi lthe spring,

vandas-soon as the current to solenoid :125` is interrupted'the trip arm122 is returned by the .Spring 126 to the normalrosition wherein .itwill disengagetheclutch and arrestv movement of the shaft 102 uponthecompletion or afrevolution .of the latter. l

To insure accurate timing tofcut the blanksirom the rubber cutterrollVfat the proper place thecurrent supply to @the u V A oftheener'gi'ing-of the solenoid 125 so that the cutter'103vwi11operatesolenoid is controlled by the. cutter rollitself by making contact at apredetermined pointmin its rotation with a conductorto close thevcircuit' which suppliescurrent to the solenoid.` current for energizingthe` solenoid'vis supplied 'from the same source-as thatvfor theheatingelefment 68 and for this purpose one of thefli'nkslto which the roll 47is attached, namely'the link 60 herein, is provided on the outer sidewith ccnductor 1274 which is mounted in an insulated man- 'ner on thearm 64er said' iinkandp'rviddwith Y a spring; arm 128 extending towardtheaicis'of the roll 47 and terminating ata distance therefrom in ahead129 having. an 'inclinedoutenface The roll which is to be employed forcuttingfthe blanks that are to be subsequently bperatedupon `by thecrosscutter` 1,03, and whichis illustratedy herein at' 47 has a crank arm 130xed thereon at the'proper place-so that a contact member 131 at theouter end will engage theinclinedfface of .the head 129 atthe proper,timeQtooperate the cross cutter 103,-the circuit fof Vthe `solenoidincluding a ilexible conductor'196 having a detachable connection with aVstud132 of thecon'- ductor 127 whereby when the memberllmakes contactwith'the head 129, 'current `from :the source of supplyv for the.heating elementfis supplied v.through theshaft ,69` atthe correspondingendof the roll 47 andthroughthecrank arin 130, contact member 131, headY12,9, spring extentsion-128, conductor 127 and stud 13,2 to the exibleconductor 196 above referred torwhich forms the connection between thestud 13 2and`the solenoid,'the `latter of course havingga return con- 2ductor 197 connecting with thesource of currentV for completingthecircuit.

f in

ffm

vber-131 with respect to the Ahead `129 and prevent 'relative axialdisplacement thatV would alter the timing of the Ycontact whereby thevsolenoid 125 is lenergized, the shaft or trunnion69-to which Lthe` crankarm Yis attached preferably has a 'spool 133 fixed thereon andtherbearing 65 of fthelink 60isopen at the bottom so as to slipdownwardly between the spool. ends insornewhat fthe same manner as thehook 61 at the other .end

of the Vlink engagesthe shaft 50, and as the spool y133 and crank 13.0are fixed on the shaft 69 Vrela-y -tive axial displacement or shiftingof the contact `members 129 and 131 is prevented.

- The contact member 131 however is adjustu fablagand to this endis'threaded through the outer end of theV crank 130 and provided with Yawinged lock nut 134, and the face of the head )129 with vwhich thismember 131 makes contact is'inclined so that byadjusting the contactmember 131 the moment of contact may be advanced or retarded slightlyfor permitting a fine ad- 'justment of the timegof voperation of thesolenoid A"1 25 'and-of the cutter 103 which is controlled the crosscutter 103 operates a cutting-block 135.

similar to'that of the above mentioned Dean patent is employed, saidblock being mounted on Vunder the roll 154, then rupwardly over the roll'a 'crossA plate 136 vof `the machine frame 10 and resilientlyheld upagainst the under surface of the be1t-j14A by arplurality of springs137, the

elevation of the blockf135'by said springs being limitedby the bolts 138which are connected with the'blk 135 and extendloosely through aperturesin the block supporting plate 136.`

A lguard 139 is preferably provided at the front of the cross cutterV103 to prevent accidental catching ofthe hands or fingers .of theoperator under the cutter blade 103, which said 'guard may consist'of asection of screen mounted "in' a',l marginal yframe and secured at itsends to the side members ofthe main frame 10Y by 'the brackets 140. l.The blanks whichV are cut from the rubber 'sheet'21 maybe removedby'hand from the belt 14 beyond the cross. cutter 103 or specialfacilities 'may be provided Vfor removing same, such for fexamplejas`the special booking attachment,

f-showrr'in' Figs2vand 3, aty the delivery end of thefbelt 14; With thisbooking attachment the --blanks are preferablyl formed by anrappropriate 'roll 47 into continuous strips which arefed for.

jward'on'rtheubelt 14 tothe delivery end of the imachineg the' 'cross'cutter 103 being removed at fthe time or disconnected so that itremains'inactive. Atl'the Vdelivery end of the belt14fthese "continuousstrips arev fed onto or transferred 'to another endless belt V141 which,at the receiv- 'Vinggend is provided with a cross cutter 142 and acushion cutting blockv 143 both of which may vbe similar in allrespectsjto thecross cutter 103 "and the cutting block 135 respectively`that have been hereinbefore described, the cross cutter 142 beingdriven in the same manner as the' 'cutter v103, from a'm'oto-r 144Ythrough a change'speed 4 .erably ,operate'dat a somewhat greatersurface device`145rand a chain146 which leads toV a clutch sprocket atthe shaft/of thecutter 142.

v The belt V141 passesf around the small idler Vr'olls`14f7 md 148 atthe receiving and discharge ends respectively and-has the lower lengthpassed under a driving.. roll 149 and over idler rolls 'at each-1 sidethereof, said driving roll being provided at one end with a sprocketwhich is'connected bythe chain'1'51 through a speed changing device 152with the motor 153 which drives the conveyor belt 143, the latter beingpreferably operated by proper adjustment of thespeed changing' device152 at a higher rate of surface speed than the belt 14 so as to effect aseparation of the blanks'as they are cut to length by the cutter142.

VThe receiving end of the bclt'141 is located somewhat-as shown in Fig.2, above the drum 12 and'in'order to step the strips of connected blanksfrom the belt 1`4 up onto the belt 141 a series of rolls 154, and 156are provided, the rst mentioned of which has its shaft ends engaged invertically slotted bearings and has slightly enlarged ends '157 whichrest on the marginal edge of the belt 14 above the drum 12 and by theirfrictional engagement 'with the belt operate the roll 1541 in aclockwise direction as itis viewed in 2.V .The second'roll 155 which islocated slightly above and at the side of the roll 154 also has itsshaft ends engaged in slotted Ybearings which are inclined toward theroll 154 and said roll 155 has slightly reduced ends 158 whichrest onthe enlarged ends 157 of the roll 154 and afford a frictional engagementwhereby the roll 155 is driven at a slightly greater surface speed thanVand in a direction reverse to that of the roll154. u

The rubber strips from the belt 14 are passed 155 and downwardlytherefrom onto the belt 141, andthe roll 156 -has Vits shaft endsloosely engaged slotted/bearings 159 which extend substantially radiallyfrom the axis of the roll 155 and permit the roll 156 to rest'by gravityvagainst the outer surface of the rubber strips on the roll 155 forholdingsaid strips surhciently engaged with the roll 155 to be fedthereby onto the belt 143. Y Y

The cutter 142 may be variously operated or controlled to eect theVcross cuttingV operation at the proper time. In some cases the clutchwith which this cutter 142y is provided, ,and which is 'similar to theclutch ofthe cutter 103, may be able rate of speed'which is so regulatedby the speed'changing device 145 to cut the rubber strips into therequired lengths. "In other cases, 'and particularly when thecrcss cutis required at a certain place determined kby the longitudinalconfiguration ofthe strip a clutch controlling'solenoid Vmay be providedand lconnected for operationbythe-cutter roll at 47 which produces thelongitudinal configuration of the strips, said solenoid being operatedby said roll in the same mannerv as the solenoid 125 of l1igs.1 and 4.In still other cases an operator may stand at the clutch end of the roll142 and by watching the progress of the strip determine the proper timefor operation of the cutter 142 and control the operation thereon bymanual pressure on thearm of the clutch controllingy bell crank thatcorresponds to the arm 124 of the clutch lcontrolling bell crank of thecutter 103.

The belt 141 as hereinbefore indicated, is prefspeed than that of thebelt 14 which supplies the strips thereto and as a result the blanks asthey are severed bythe cutter 142 from their respective -strips areseparated or spaced apart longitudinally onA the belt, and as theseblanks reach 'the end of the upper length of vthebelt 141 they from thebelt 141 onto the `small roll 14.61 and drop .are dropped off theendthereof -into a book 160. i

Ytlflerubber reel y,on which the, rubber sheet is It has been foundhowever thatthe deposit of the blanks onto the book cannotbesatisfactorily and uniformly accomplished by-merely permitting them todrop oil-of .ther `belt 141 .as the latter makes the return bend aroundthe roll 148 andv special provision is required to insure proper removalof the blanks. is effectively accomplished by mounting a small roll 161xalong and close to the discharge. endof the belt substantially as shownin Figs. 2 and. 3 and rotating A. .same in the same direction as theroll 148-but at la rate of surface speedfgreaterv than that of the beltY141 and the blanks then readily pass therefrom onto the book 160 asrequired for the booking operation.

This roll 161 maybe voperated many desired manner as for example from-adrive sprocket 162 on theshaft 163 of Athechange speed. device 152through the chain 164V to thersprocket 165 `on the shaft of the rolll61,the-ratio of theidriving connections of the roll 161y and the roll 149being ,such that the roll 1 61`will be. operatedat a suitably fastersurface speed than the belt 141V at any rate of operation of the latter.y'

The book 160 in which the blanks are deposited from the belt Yandstripper roll llmay be of a character commonly employed in* rubber`manufacturing which comprises a bottom plate With a number of'leavesl66of fabric secured thereto along l the edge and which are successivelylaid down over the preceding leaf after a number of blanks of sheetrubber have'beenllaid upon the;

latter leaf so that the newly laid down'leaf covers and protects theblanks .on the leaf immediately below and alords a new surface'uponwhich additional blanks may be deposited. Y

For booking the blanks as they are discharged from the belt '141 atray167 of suitable size'to contain a book 160 is located under thedischarge end yof the vbelt 141 and provided with Supporting rollers orwheels 168 operating in elongated lslot like tracks 169 which areVprovided onthetside members of the machine frame 10 or aneXtensionthereof so that the tray 1h67 with the book thereon may be readily movedby the `operatorback and vforthunder the discharge end of the belt 141in the direction of the length of the. latter.-

With this construction vabook 160 isplacedin the tray 167 'with all Vtheleaves thrown back to ythe position shown at 166 in Fig. 2 and 'with'ythe tray and book pulled y out until only the -inneredgey of the book160 is under .the stripperiroll 161, a

vtransverse series of blanks is permittedto run. off the stripper rollV161 until the4 leading ends of the blanks touch the surface. ofY thebook. vThe latter is then pushed inwardly ata/.rate correspending to therate of feed of the blanksan'd'the Vlatter permitted to gradually laydown on the exposed leaf of the book until the iinal ends ofthetransverse series of blanks-are disengaged from the roll 161 and dropdown ilat on the leaf of the book, whereupon the tray 161 and bookthereon are quickly pulled outwardly,` the next succeeding leaf 166thrown over to cover the blanks that have just been deposited andtheftray and book' then pushed inwardly at the proper time and rate tohave another series o fblankel deposited on the newly turned down leaf.operation is repeateduntil the .book isilled whereupon the iilled bookis removed fron1 the tray V167-`and an emptybook substituted and iilledVin 'like manner. i

Instead of storing thev blanks in booksthey may. be cut out onthe'winding ribbon orfbelt'of wound and after the scrap is removed thewinding ribbon orv belt with the blanks thereon may struction having aseries of idler rolls 169 over which .the ywinding ribbony or belt 170is passed from the reel 171 of a rubber winding device 172 at one end ofthe frame 168`to the reel :.173 o'fa rubber winding device 174 at theother end, these rubber Windingdevices, like that of Figi, .being ofV aportable character and preferably of substantially the .constructionshown and describedin'the Hunt application above referred to, and theserubberwinding devices 172 and 174 are held in the proper location rattherespective ends of the frame 168-by adjustable connectors 175 on theframe 168 which engage Vwith a portion of the frame of.

the, respective winding devices 172 or 174; v yThese vwinding devices172 and 173 have upper and lowerreels the former of which, in the normaluse of said devices, are merely employed as indicated-,in Fig.` 1 t'owind up the separator lower reel when Ysheet rubber is being woundthereon, but inthe embodiment of Your invention.

as illustrated in Fig. 9 the upper reels'` of the winding devices` are`A not used, as .the winding t' ribbon together .with the rubber sheetthereon device 172 over the frame 168 .where thelblanks arecut outjrandthe scrap removed, andthen ,this ribbon, which is indicated in Fig. ,9`at 170,

andwhich has the cut out blanks remaining thereon, is wound on the `reel173A of the other 'is passed from "the 'lower reel 171 of the winding Va`motor`179 operates the shaft 1 76'at rates o f speed that may be variedat will by the operator.V

Asprocket180 on the countershaft 176 drives through a chain 181 to thesprocket182 which is Ydetachably'secured on the exposed end vot theshaft 183 `ofvthefreel 173 so that after winding 'of the separatorribbon 170 on said reel has been completed said sprocket V182 maybereadily removed,V and mounted on the shafts 183 ofthe winding devices173Y that are. lsuccessively Vused 'at this place. Y f y Obviouslytherate of speed of the winding ribbon 170 over the top of the tablevor-frame 188 .will progressively increase as theseparator 170 builds upintoan increasingly larger roll on Athe reel 173 and this maybecontrolled either auto-v matically or manually by adjusting the change Yspeed device 178 to compensate for the increasing diameterof the roll.Itisto be noted however vthat it is'nc-t` necessary to maintain auniformrubber thereon and vaccordingly. atea rate.v of

speed corresponding to that ofthe separator rib,-

bon170. I y Y 4 4 The separatorA ribbon `or belt-1701011 `whichthe sheetrubber-is passedover the frame-:liand on which thevbianks' are cut fromthe sheet 'rubber is somewhat similar to'fthe belt 14 hereinbeforedescribed, being made lup as shown Fig. 8 of `a body layer 184- of chipboard or the like with a fabric layer 185 adhesively secured thereon atboth sides, said ribbon or belt 170` however being provided with raisedportions or extra thickness along the edges as indicated at 26 in Fig. 8so that A when woundon a reel an intervening space is provided betweenthe convolutions Vto; freely acfcornx'nodate the sheet rubber with theouter sur-A face ofthe sheet rubber spacedfrom the overlying convolutionof the separator ribbon or belt. YAri-idlerv 12011186 of a constructionsimilar'to :the roll 76 hereinbeforedescribed is mountedY on the frameA168 to support the portion of the separator ribbon 17)4 between theraised y edges V26 Vand above this roll 186 is acutter'roll 187 whichco-foperates with the cushion roll 186 to cut the A'rubber on the belt170 intothe desired Vblanks after which the scrap is removed by a scrapremover188.

Details of the construction and arrangement of the'cutter roll'l87 andscrap remover 188 are not shownY as the cutter roll may be of the Vsaineyconstruction Vand mounted andl` heated 4in the same manner as thecutter roll47 ,o-fFigs. 1, 4.

and 5 and provided with the ribs 49arranged thereon'in the particularconfiguration of the blank to be cut from the rubber sheet,'and thescrap remover188 may likewise be of the same construction as the scrapremoval facilities that 'are' shown in and described in connection withMoreover the apparatus of Fig. Q ma'y,A

. ribbon onthe'lower reel, and after cooling on the separator ribbon,vis transported on the portable 'winding device to the place where itisrto be used, and it is a cooled and set ,rubber of this character thatis supplied from the winding device 172 on the separator ribbon 170 tothe cutting devices of Fig. 9, asimilar rubber being also supplied inthestructure of Fig. 1 but in that` case removed from the separatorribbonof the winding device and transferred to the belt 14 before being cutinto blanks. Y

The heated ribs of the cutter 187, like those of the cutter 47 penetrateentirely through the rubber sheet so that the scrap may be readilyseparated vfrom the blanks .and removed byV theV scrap removerf188orotherwise, and the natural surface of the winding ribbon 170supplemented by the additional adhesion of the edges ofthe vized sheetrubber,jwhich comprises applying on a blanks to the ribbon 170 Vwhichis. occasioned by the heat and pressure of the cutter ribs as they areVpressed through the rubber, insures sufficient adherence'of the blanksto the winding ribbon 170 so that they maybe readily wound therewith inia roll on the lower reel 173 of the portable frame 174 and thus storedfor future use. 1

. In theoperation'ofme blank forming apparatus'disclosed herein it isimportant that the cutters be maintained at a comparatively uniformtemperature which not only is insufncient to cause vinjury to the beltupon which'the rubber is sup-V portedin the cutting 'or blank formingoperation 'but which is also insuincient to cause partialvulvcan'ization ofthe rubber when it is being cut and V'yetthetemperature Yshould be sufficiently high so 'that the cutting orblank forming ribs will readily melt 'their way through the rubber, theterm melt being used herein to signify a softening ofv the rubber whichWill permit the ribs to readily penetratev therethrough. The slightadhesive lof the'blanks to the belt Vwhich is occasioned in thecuttingoperation is usually sufficient to retain the blanks properly on thebelt, particularly Vafter the belt has beenrused for a short time, as

the cuttingoperation leaves on the surface of the 4lt a littlesoftrubber along the lines of the 'cutting operations and Ytherebyconditions the surface so that the blanks will readily' adhere thereto.`yIn the event, however, that the adhesive occasionedby thecuttingoperation is insufcient aroller may be mounted over the belt beyond thecutters in'a manner similar to the roll 94 of the scrap vremover deviceso as to press the blanks -more rmly onto the belt.

Instead of removing the blanks from the belt scrap is retained thereonand the latter removed or discharged Yat the delivery end of the belt.Furthermore itis not essential that the cutting operations be carriedbutsimultaneously across the entire width of the rubber on the supportingbelt.- In the case of the structure shown in Fig. 9, for example,patterns or blanks may be cut along Vone edge of the rubber strip andthen the cutters Wound inwardly and the rubber strip and supportingapron passed back over the cutter frame in the reversed direction to cutanother row of Vblanks and so on until the entire Width of the rubberstrip has been utilized. This permits cutting with small cutting rollsand eliminates a large percentage of scrap.

While we have shown and described our invention in a preferred form, weare aware that various changes and modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the principles of our-invention, the scope ofwhich is to be determined by the appended claims.

' We claim as our invention: s

V1; The method of forming blanks of unvulcanized sheet rubber, whichcomprises supporting a sheet of rubber at substantially room temperatureon a cushiony surfaced belt, and progressively melting along, the sheeta channel'which corresponds'to the Vconguration of the'blank and eX-tends through the rubber to the cushiony surface ofthe belt.

2. The method of Vforming blanks of unvulcansupporting surface a sheetof rubber at substantially room temperature, melting away around themargin of the portion of the sheet that is to constitute the blank, asuicient Width of rubber to entirely free the blank from the scrap, andthen lifting the scrap from the supporting surface while the blank isretained thereon.

ber in indentng relation-,to the 'cushiony surface ofthe belt, blankdening ribs of a temperature and contour to melt away, around the marginof the portion of the sheet that is to constitute the blank, asuilicient width of rubber to entirely free the blank from the scrap. f

4. The method of forming blanks of unvulcanized sheet rubber, whichcomprises sheeting the rubber in a calendar, then after cooling of thesheeted rubber substantially to room temperature and while supported ona cushiony surface, progressively melting along the sheet a channelwhich corresponds to the configuration of the blank and extends throughthe rubber to the cushiony surface.

5. The method of forming and handling blanks of unvulcanized sheetrubber, which comprises winding a long strip of sheet rubber from thecalender between convolutions of a separator ribbon which are spacedapart a` distance greater than the thickness of the rubber, then afterthe rubber has cooled substantially to room temperature forming blanksfrom the sheet rubber while on the separator ribbon and removing thescrap therefrom, and then rewinding the separator with the blanksthereon in a roll the convolutions of which are spaced apart a distancegreater than the thickness of the rubber blanks.

6. The method of forming and handling blanks of unvulcanized sheetrubber which comprises supporting on the surface of a belt a sheet ofrubber at substantially room temperature, forming the blanks from thesheet and simultaneously heating and slightly sticking the marginaledges of the blank to the belt and then removing the scrap and leavingthe blanks on the belt.

7. The method of forming blanks of unvulcanized sheet rubber whichcomprises supporting on a cushiony surfaced belt a sheet of rubber atsubstantially room temperature, and forming each blank in successiveindependent stages by melting away a width of rubber at each stage alonga diferent part of the margin of the portion of the rubber sheet that isto constitute the blank.

8. In an apparatus for forming sheet rubber blanks the combination of aframe, a belt operable therealong and having a cushiony surface forsupporting a sheet of rubber from which the blanks are to be formed, arotary member having peripherally extending blank forming ribs arrangedto progressively engage along and press against the cushiony surface ofthe belt, and means for heating said ribs to a temperature to meltthrough the sheet rubber on the belt.

9. In an apparatus for forming sheet rubber blanks, the combination of aframe, a belt operable therealong for supporting a sheet or rubber fromwhich the blanks are to be formed, a rotary member having peripherallyextending blank forming ribs arranged to progressively engage along andpress against the belt, means for heating said ribs to a temperature tomelt through the sheet rubber on the belt, and a belt support under thesaid rotary member and engaging the under side of the belt, individualportions of said belt support throughout the length of said rotarymember being independently yieldable under pressure of the ribs of therotary member against the top surface of the belt.

10. In an apparatus for forming sheet rubber blanks, the combination ofa frame, a belt operable therealong for supporting a sheet of rubberfrom which the blanks are to be formed, a rotary member havingperipherally extending blank forming ribs arranged to progressivelyengage along and pressfthrough the-sheetxof' rubb'erand against thebelt, and a belt supporting roll 'under said rotary member having a.hard supporting surface composed of a longitudinal, series of adjoiningindependently yieldable sections.Y

11. In an apparatusl for forming sheet rubbery blanks the combination ofa frame, blank forming devices, and means on which a sheet of rubberfrom which the blanks are to be formed is moved to the blank formingdevices, said blank forming devices including a quickly detachable andadjustable mounting and connections whereby blank forming rolls ofvarious lengths and diameters are adapted to be selectively held inoptional blank forming positions adjacent the aforesaid means anddetachably connected with a source of heat.

12. In an apparatus for forming blanks from sheet material, thecombination of a pair of complementary devices operable in sequence onthe sheet material to rst divide the sheet longitudinally into connectedseries of blanks and thereafter divide said connected series intoseparate blanks, a belt on which the sheet material is fed from oneblank forming device to the other, and means for lifting the scraprubber from the portion of the belt between said devices.

13. In an apparatus for forming blanks from unvulcanized sheet rubberthe combination of a pair of reels, a separate ribbon windable on saidreels' and having spacing means along the edges for separating theadjoining convolutions of the ribbon and providing a space therebetweento freely accommodate sheet rubber, a frame between the reels over whichthe ribbon is transferred from one reel to the other reel, and blankforming devices mounted on the frame and operable between the edgespacing means of the ribbon and against the surface of the ribbontherebetween to form blanks from a sheet of rubber on` the ribbon.

14. In an apparatus for forming blanks from unvulcanized sheet rubberthe combination of a pair of reels, a separator ribbon windable on saidreels and having spacing means along the edges for separating theadjoining convolutions of the ribbon and providing a space therebetweento freely accommodate sheet rubber, a frame between -the reels overwhich the ribbon is transferred from one reel to the other reel, blankforming devices mounted on the frame and operable between the edgespacing means of the ribbon and against the surface of the ribbontherebetween to form blanks from a sheet of rubber on the ribbon, andmeans on the frame operable to lift the scrap rubber from the belt at apoint between the blank forming devices and the reel upon which theribbon is being wound.

15. In an apparatus for forming and handling sheet rubber blanks, thecombination of blank forming means, a blank carrying apron at the end ofwhich the blanks are discharged therefrom, and a book mounted toreciprocate under the discharge end of the apron to receive the blankson the successive pages thereof.

16. In an apparatus for forming and handling sheet rubber blanks, thecombinationk of blank forming means, a blank carrying apron at the endof which the blanks are discharged therefrom, a book mounted toreciprocate under the discharge end of the apron to receive the blankson the successive pages theerof, and a stripper roll at the end of theapron and operable in the same direction as and at a higher surfacespeed than the apron.

throughout the length of a sheet of rubber, which multaneousl'y' meltingthrough the rubber sheet',- comprises supporting the rubber sheet at'theover the progressing depressed portions of said blank forming locationon a cushiony surface, surface, channels which separate the blanks fromprogressively depressing portions of said surface the rubber sheet.corresponding to the outline of the blanks that GEORGE W. BLAIR. are tobe formed from the rubber sheet and si- RAY R. HUNT.

